The Liverpool Mechanics Institute was founded in 1823 by people of power and influence who recognised the transformative effects of education and the impact that learning and aspiration could have on individuals, communities and society. It was the first such institution to be founded in England.

This small, pioneering movement was followed by the establishment of the Liverpool Institute and School of Art and the Liverpool Nautical College, and in 1900 Irene Mabel Marsh opened the IM Marsh campus. These organisations together laid the foundations for Liverpool John Moores University, an institution that has grown and flourished and continues to provide opportunities for all.

The university’s ethos – dream, plan, achieve – comes from a statement made by its namesake Sir John Moores, the founder of the Littlewoods empire and a beacon of equal opportunities in Liverpool, “…if you want to enough, you can achieve anything”.

Today, the university has a vibrant community of 25,000 students from over 100 countries world-wide, 2,500 staff and 250 degree courses.